Welcome to my blog! This personal blog is all about genealogy, and my search for elusive kinfolk. Hope you'll enjoy reading about my genealogical adventures, discoveries and attempts to follow paths left by these long, lost families!

Sunday, September 22, 2013

"Help.. I Need An Ancestor Intervention!"

I've truly been floundering. Kind of like 'knit one, purl two.' Post 3 weeks, take a break for 2 more. I work crazy hours, tis true, but I can't totally blame the job. I'll hit a brick wall, bang my head, become frustrated, pout in a corner for a while, then try again. It's my very own vicious circle, but C'est la vie!,
that's life I guess.
I am beginning to feel that the ancestors are either totally pissed off with me right now, displeased for one reason or another, OR are thwarting my searches and not allowing my efforts to be fruitful because this is simply the right time for connections to be made.
I embarked on my Alf Glover Journey a few weeks back. I can't honestly say I've not been successful, I guess I want resolution and answers, - yesterday. LOL! I continue to bump my head....
First, while cruising the net one Friday Night, I wind up on the MyHeritage.com site. Browsing through their family trees, I find my 'Alf', his wife Eliza, and some of their children. Not all, but a little bit of something is always better than a whole lotta nothing. Right? Only problem was, that in order to browse the family tree, I had to join the site. $76 worth of join! Turns out I know the owner of this particular tree. Well, 'know' might be stretching things, but we were genealogical 'conspirators' several years ago, and used to exchange emails (I've since lost his email addie). I messaged him via the MyHeritage.com, and have yet to get a response. And unfortunately, it's been my experience with The Ancestry Message Boards, that members more likely than not, - do not respond. Money not exactly well spent, I'd say. Down the toilet would probably be a more apt description.
I did find an obituary notice for someone I believe to be one of Alf's grandchildren on Ancestry. The obituary is in The Flint Journal, from Flint, Michigan. I called the library there, verified the obit, and was given the publication date, column, page, etc. Unfortunately, the library no longer handles requests for obits. I would, I was told have to make my request with the Flint Genealogical Society. I very promptly typed up my request, wrote out a check for fees, and mailed it off. I live approximately 60 miles away, so I figure they'll receive the letter in a day or two, after all, we're talking Flint, Michigan, not Los Angeles, Ca. How long could it take, I figured. (Apparently longer than I thought). Yesterday, I broke down and called to see if there was some sort of snafu (It had been about 2 weeks). The check hadn't been cashed, and if there was a snag, I could take care of it, nipping things in the bud. Right? Wrong, again, LOL!. I was told by the president of the genealogical society, that the volunteer who handled requests was out of the country, in Germany, and wouldn't be back until the end of the month. Grrrr (the sound of my teeth gnashing!). I don't want much, just to prove or disprove a familial connection. Jesus, Mary, Joseph! My mother used to say that sometimes when you keep running into dead ends, it's because you are not supposed to do whatever it is you're attempting. Could this be one of those times? Are the ancestors trying to tell me this is a no-no? Or should I be reminding myself that patience really is a virtue?
There was however, a silver lining in my cloud. I'd called the Lafayette County Arkansas library, and was advised to call Southwest Arkansas Archives in Washington, Ark. I spoke with Mrs. Lloyd there, and while she couldn't help me with ' my' Glover's, she was a fount of information in other respects, giving many useful tips. For instance, it never occurred to me to check tax records for the early part of the century. I always figured most of my ancestors were too poor to own any personal property of note, thus would not have paid taxes. She quickly disabused me of that notion, explaining that anything they owned would have been considered personal property (i.e. livestock, a watch), and taxable. She also gave advise about searching courthouse records, - that they were arranged by school districts. The only down side is that these searches must be done in person,by me, sooo, it's a dead end for now, and will have to wait until I'm able to travel there on a research trip, which, hopefully, will be next summer.
Finally, Mrs. Lloyd gave me the name of a fellow Southwest Archives Board Member who works at The Barton Library in El Dorado, Ark. I called the next day, spoke Mrs. Boulden, who by the way, seems to be very nice, judging by her telephone persona. She gave me her email info, and asked me to jot everything down, and send it to her, which I did the very next day. I am on pins and needles, awaiting her response!
I contacted the Columbia Library Genealogy Dept. in Columbia County Ark., and spoke to Dana. As with Mrs. Boulden, I was asked to email my info, to which I complied, and received a reply 2 days later. Great response time, for which I am grateful. Dana appears to have given it the all American try, - unfortunately, the cemetery records she was able to find weren't helpful, with one exception. She found a grave for an Eliza Glover, who died in 1924, in Pine Bluff, Ark, which is in Jefferson Co. Could this be 'my' Eliza?

Guess it could be a viable lead. So far, I've only located the family in Lafayette, Columbia & Union Counties. Doesn't mean they couldn't have lived elsewhere. God knows the family moved around a lot. Perhaps Alf preceded Eliza in death, and she moved in with one of their children or another relative in the Pine Bluff area. Only the ancestors know for sure, and so far, they ain't talking!